osechi ryori 御節料理

Osechi Ryori is a traditional Japanese New Year foods filled with good wishes.

The traditional style to serve Osechi Ryori is in a multi-tiered lacquerware Jubako box. The multi-tiered boxes symbolise the hope that happiness and wealth come continuously, like the layers of lacquerware. Every dish of these traditional foods has a special meaning in welcoming the New Year.

Here are some of my favourite dishes.

Kuromame 黒豆: sweet black soybeans

Eating this dish is considered good for your health in the new year. Kuromame is black soybeans and not black beans. The traditional Kuromame recipes require 2-3 ‘rusty’ iron nails. The reason why rusty nails are required to cook Kuromame is that the rust (iron oxide) from nails has a chemical reaction with tannin in the beans, which helps the beans turn dark to a rick black colour.

Kuri Kinton 栗きんとん: candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes

This dish symbolises economic fortune and wealth. Made of mashed sweet potatoes and chestnuts in syrup. Kuri Kinton is a dish to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year.

Tazukuri 田作り: Candied anchovies

This dish symbolise a bountiful harvest. Tazukuri 田作りliterally translates as “making 作りrice paddy 田” as anchovies were once used as fertilisers of rice fields.

Datemaki 伊達巻: sweet rolled omelette

Eating Datemaki will bring a good year of wisdom, learning, and success in studies. The rolled shape of datemaki is reminiscent of a scroll, which is historically a symbol of knowledge. Datemaki is a very similar to Tamagoyaki as both are rolled omelettes and use similar ingredients. The main difference is Datemaki contains hanpen (a type of white fish cake) as one of the ingredients. Hanpen is made from grated Japanese yam (yamaimo), surimi (Alaska Pollock), salt, and kombu dash. It adds a unique flavour and a fluffy texture to the egg omelette.

Namasu なます: daikon and carrot salad

This salad is lightly pickled in sweetened vinegar. Red and white colour combination is considered celebratory colours in Japan and these colours are often used in many traditional ceremonies.

 

 

 

 

This three-tiered Jubako bento box is decorated with pine, bamboo and plum blossoms in gold Maki-e lacquer. It is finished by hand lacquering and hand polishing. The combination of black lacquer and golden Maki-e is created using Echizen lacquerware techniques.

Maki-e lacquer: Maki-e is a lacquerware technique that originated in Japan around 1200 years ago. The first process is painting lacquer motifs on the surface using a fine brush and then sprinkling the gold powder onto the lacquer before it drys. 

Echizen lacquerware: Echizen lacquerware originated around the city of Sabae in Fukui Prefecture, in the northern part of Japan. It is famous for its subdued lustre and elegant beauty with a history going back more than 1500 years.

Perfect way to create memorable tablescape for special occasions. Fill Juboko's ma 間 with the food prepared with care and thoughtfulness and make your dinner party unforgettable.

Enter this code MaMusubi at check out and you will receive 5% off of your purchase from Musubi Kilm site.